Carpet: A Sustainability Success Story

The carpet industry has succeeded in making carpet more sustainable and environmentally responsible than ever before. As almost all commercial carpet is certified as Green Label Plus, you can be sure that the carpet you select emits the very lowest VOCs possible. The GLP testing program meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements for emissions, including CA 01350, and is accredited by the​ American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to ISO Guide 65 specifications.​

Meeting the Environmental Standard

Architects, designers and end users seeking environmentally preferred building materials can now identify carpet that has a reduced environmental impact through the ANSI/NSF 140 Sustainability Assessment for Carpet. NSF International has been developing public health standards and certification programs since 1944. ANSI/NSF 140 was the first multi-attribute ANSI-approved standard for environmentally preferred building materials.ANSI accreditation is a further assurance that the products tested and certified by CRI are green building products that meet high standards for indoor air quality.

​LEEDing Into the Future

GLP-certified products, including carpet, are recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED version 4 standard as a Low-Emitting Materials Third Party Certification and can contribute one point to a building’s LEED score.

Projects can also earn LEED credits by incorporating salvaged materials—such as refurbished, reused or recycled carpet—into plans for new construction or renovation. Recycled content carpet meets the same industry performance standards and carries the same manufacturer warranties as carpet without recycled content.

Taking CARE to Recycle

In addition, carpet manufacturers are voluntarily reducing the amount of old carpet that ends up in landfills. Through the​ Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), carpet companies, government entities and product suppliers are working to develop market-based solutions for the recycling and re-use of post-consumer carpet. Carpet materials are put back into carpet production or turned into things such as building materials and auto parts.